Ending Abortion the Right Way

As a young pro-choice woman, I want to end abortion. Does this statement seem like some kind of oxymoron? It shouldn't. Elective abortion, as I see it, is a symptom of a serious problem that affects women all over the world - unintended, unwanted pregnancy. Too many women have found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place in the turmoil of trying to deal with unwanted pregnancies, and it's time that we found a solution.

The first step is to realize that unwanted pregnancies are a very real problem. Many pro-lifers, as benevolent as their intentions may be, are incapable of sympathizing with women who know beyond a doubt that they aren't ready or simply don't want to have a child. "Every child is a blessing," they say, but the reality of the matter is that using the legal system to force desperate women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term won't do anyone a favor. As long as we pretend abortion is the problem, we risk missing the crucial fact that every elective abortion starts with a pregnancy that came at the wrong time for the wrong person. When we embrace legislation that limits abortion availability, we shut these women out in their time of need.

As I said earlier, I want to end abortion - but not through laws and court decisions that back pregnant women into a corner. Not by hacking away at women's rights or using misinformation to frighten women away from their options. Pro-choice and pro-life groups should work together to end the need for elective abortion, and that means fighting the sources of unwanted pregnancy with sexual education, widespread birth control availability, and programs to eliminate poverty.